Essay on What Is Islam

What is Islam? The ability to understand Islam cannot be grounded in the belief of a God only. It also cannot be just be a sense of community or a choice in what people eat and drink. The first few words of the text book, The Oxford History of Islam, capture the attention of those that read it by showing the wide extent of Islam. “Islam is a religion and civilization made its entry onto the world stage with the life and career of Prophet Muhammad ibn Abd Allah in western Arabia” (Donner, n.d.). The religion part can easily be rationalized because it is a fairly basic view for a group of people to follow. Civilization, however, is a broad swath of culture, people and a way of living. It encompasses what people do throughout their lives as well as the lives that came before and after them. The view of Islam is not just of God, but of a way of life.

“According to Muslim belief, the angel Gabriel appeared to Muhammad, a camel driver, in a mountain cave and delivered a message from the one true God.” (Http://www.religionfacts.com/islam/overview.htm)
Muhammad began to give his life to spread the word of this one true God. He was considered a Prophet and his life work was recorded as the Qur’an, the sacred text of Islam.

This beginning of Islam was rooted in religious beliefs due to the Monotheistic view of “one God” During this time of the world there were other groups such as the Persians who were not monotheistic and worshipped multiple deities. (http://www.studylight.org/enc/isb/view.cgi?number=T6822) While the Islamic faith might be based in religion, it by no means makes it a one faceted belief or structure. There are different aspects to Islam that make it a much broader community based system.
According to Islam study, the 5 pillars of Islam were revealed by God to Muhammad. These pillars are the declaration of faith, praying five times a day, giving money to charity, fasting and a pilgrimage to Mecca (atleast once). (http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/ataglance/glance.shtml) They provided groundwork to the religion that is Islam. In providing this base it also provided a way of life.
In what began as a religious entity with the word of God to Muhammad turned to an ever increasing political environment as the number of believers grew. This political path started with a move by Muhammad of his followers called “The Hijah”. Muhammad's popularity was seen as threatening by the people in power in Mecca, and Muhammad took his followers on a journey from Mecca to Medina in 622. (http://www.islamicity.com/mosque/ihame/sec2.htm) Within 10 years he was able to gain enough followers to return and conquer Mecca. Until his death in 632 things were pretty straightforward with his leadership. With his passing there was some discussion on who would be his successor, with multiple groups looking toward…

Related Documents: Essay on What Is Islam

understand the Muslim religion. Islam is defined as:
Islam
1 : the religious faith of Muslims including belief in Allah as the sole deity and in Muhammad as his prophet
2 a : the civilization erected upon Islamic faith
b : the group of modern nations in which Islam is the dominant religion
Origin: Arabic islām submission (to the will of God)
First use: 1817
(Merriam Dictionary* need the other info here*)
Sun·ni
1 : the Muslims of the branch of Islam that adheres to the orthodox tradition…

following to the key beliefs and practices of Islam, they are submitting to the will of Allah. The six principle beliefs and The Five Pillars of Islam are two out of three most important concepts in the Islamic faith. Carrying out all these duties provides a framework in a Muslim’s life and intertwines their everyday beliefs and practices into a single cloth of religious devotion.
A Muslims devotional submission to Allah is practiced through Akran Al-Islam, also known as The Five Pillars of Faith.…

Islam
The religion that really caught my interest is Islam. The reason why is because the good people of the United States are constantly bombarded with countless misrepresentations and inaccurate portrayals of Islam and about Muslims, so it made kind of look into the religion and see what their values and beliefs are. My uncle-in-law practices Islam, so I’ve asked him if he could educate me more about it. He decided to take me to the Islamic Center for PEACE. The facility serves as a community…

and that any compromise with the law of God will rot out the foundations of Islam. The tribes that are revolting assembled to attack Mecca, but the companions were ready for them. Abu bakr himself led the charge against the revolting tribes and made them retreat. Abu bakr declared war on the impostors which made most of the impostors submit and profess to Islam again.
Another contribution of Abu Bakr to the cause of Islam was the collection and compilation of the verses of the Qur'an.
Abu bakr…

What is Islam?
The most complete way of life is found in the religion of Islam. The word Islam means, “surrender” to the will of God (Allah in Arabic). Since there is only one God and mankind is one species, the religion that God has ordained for human beings is one. So why the different religions?
God in His mercy had sent messengers to convey His message, to different peoples, in different times. Each prophet came with guidance and miracles that were relevant for his time, and for his people…

Evil from the Middle East – Does the media portray Islamic people negatively?
1. What is your nationality?
- Australian
- Lebanese/Middle Eastern
- Vietnamese/Chinese
- Other, Please specify
2. Do you find that there is more positive or negative media coverage on Islamic people?
- More positive
- More negative
- About the same
- I don’t know
If more positive, skip to question 4.
If more negative, continue to question 3.
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In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Kind
What is Islam?
Islam means the active submission to the one God. Its followers are called Muslims.
1-Faith
Faith is called the ‘Root of religion’. The roots of Islam are five:
1. Tawhid (Unity of God)
This is the foundation of Islam. “He (God) is One, God is Eternal; He has neither begotten, nor has He been begotten; and there is no one equal to Him.” (Holy Quran: 112) He is most powerful, all knowing, most forgiving and merciful…

University of Phoenix Material
Islam Worksheet
When studying Islam, it is important to understand the essential elements of the faith, how they are practiced, and the distinctions among the three branches: Shiite Islam, Sunni Islam, and Sufism.
Write a 1- to 2-paragraph response for each of the following directives and note where there are differences among the three branches of Islam.
1. Explain the meaning of the name, Islam.
Islam is derived from the Arabic root "Salema": peace…

Alex Galliani
Period 5
Islam Project
Islam started when Muhammad went away and saw the angel Gabriel. Gabriel told Muhammad that he was Allah's, the Muslim god, prophet. At first people didn't believe he was the prophet of Allah, it wasn't until Muhammad dies that Islam started to truly spread. Islam also teaches that there is only one god, Muhammad calls all people to worship Allah because he is merciful and fair. On judgment day he will come and judge everyone…

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